Whole Duck Pastrami with Caraway Sweet Potato Hash, Sourdough Crisps & Quail Egg

-courtesy of Enver's of Morriston, Morriston

Whole Duck Pastrami with Caraway Sweet Potato Hash, Sourdough Crisps & Quail Egg

For the duck
1 whole Muscovy duck
¼ cup kosher salt
2 tsp crushed peppercorn
2 tsp crushed coriander seed
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
½ tsp pink curing salt
Butcher's twine
Applewood smoking chips

For the Pastrami rub
1 tbsp yellow mustard seed
1 tbsp crushed coriander seed
1 tbsp crushed peppercorn
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt

For the Hash
2 tbsp olive oil
1 sweet potato, diced fine
1 large yellow onion, diced fine
2 oz finely chopped bacon or pancetta
1 clove garlic minced
3 tsp caraway seeds
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

For the duck:

Place duck on a cutting board breast side down. With a sharp knife, make an incision down the back. Working down each side of the duck, slowly cut away the meat from the bone. Disjoint the legs from the carcass and slice the breast away from the bone leaving the skin intact where the two breast meet on the keel bone. Cut the carcass away from the flesh at the keel bone. Remove the wings. Cut the bones out of the legs. What is left is a completely deboned duck with the skin intact at the breast. Cut away any excess fat and loose skin from around the outside. In a bowl, mix together salt, curing salt, coriander, peppercorn, sugar and garlic. Rub the meat all over with the cure and place in a container covered in the fridge for 72 hours, flipping meat over every 12 hours. Remove the meat from the container and rinse off the cure.

For the Pastrami rub:
Mix together the ingredients for the pastrami rub and rub the meat with half of it. Roll up the duck tucking the leg meat into the center where the breasts meet. Flip the meat over so the attached breasts are facing up. It should look a bit like a football. Tie the duck in four or five spots with the butcher's twine to secure it together. Rub the remainder of the spice on the outside. Preheat a barbeque to 300°F. Soak the chips in water. If using a gas barbeque place the chips in a smoking box or foil pouch over the flame and wait for them to smoke. If using a charcoal barbeque (preferred) toss the soaked and drained chips directly on the charcoal. Place the duck away from the heat source on the grill and close the lid. Replenish the chips as needed to keep the barbeque smoking during the cooking process. Using a probe thermometer, cook the duck until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove and allow to cool.

For the Hash:
While the duck is cooking, warm the olive oil in a large pan and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon has rendered the fat and gets crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add the sweet potato, caraway and onion to the pan and sauté until the potato is cooked through. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another two minutes. Add the sherry vinegar and season to taste. Untie the duck and slice thin. Serve over the potato hash with a poached egg and toasted sourdough bread.